122-539: The Maputo Corridor is a major trade corridor which connects the Gauteng , Limpopo , and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa with Maputo , which is a port and the capital of Mozambique . The corridor comprises roads - including the N4 toll road (from Pretoria to Komatipoort) - and railways, ports, and border facilities at Komatipoort , which connect the industrial areas around Gauteng, and mines and agricultural districts to
244-580: A sjambok . Citizenship of the ZAR was legislated by the constitution as well as Law No 7 of 1882, as amended on 23 June 1890. Citizenship was gained by being born in the republic or by naturalisation. The voting age was 16 years. Persons not born in the republic could become citizens by taking the prescribed oath and procuring the letters of naturalisation. The oath involved abandoning, discarding and renouncing all allegiance and subjugation towards foreign sovereignties and in particular their previous citizenship. Under
366-550: A "Consolidated Urban Area" in Gauteng as having a population of 13.1 million as of January 2017 . The future governmental plans for the region indicate the gradual urbanisation and consolidation towards the creation of a megalopolis that connects these metros. The GCRO is a collaboration between the Universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand, the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Provincial Government, and SALGA-Gauteng. The GCRO's purpose
488-630: A South African confederation far more difficult, as the Boers as a result achieved greater independence. Moreover, the Foreign Office was concerned that the opening of Delagoa Bay could signal the involvement of other nations in the Transvaal, which could threaten the Cape Colony. This concern was intensified by the fact that some German merchants had already approached Bismark with the proposition that he annex
610-531: A few other burghers to the purported location where the elephants were herding. Rather instead, Mapela led the unsuspecting Boers into an ambush where hundreds of native warriors attacked the Potgieter party, killing Andries, then proceeding to drag Herman up a hill, where he was skinned alive. They stopped once they had torn the entrails from his body. At the same time of these events, the Ndebele chief Magobane (known to
732-482: A heretic, and abandoned the siege in droves. Sir Henry Barkley exaggerated this failure as a major and decisive defeat of the Boers, and was thereby led to anticipate an immediate application to the High Commissioner to take over the country. A.N. Pelzer wrote: "Although Sekhukhune made overtures for peace, he was not defeated and this fact, together with the shaky financial position, gave Sir Theophilus Shepstone
854-598: A jury system. Laws were enforced by the South African Republic Police ( Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek Politie or ZARP) which were divided into Mounted Police ( Rijdende Politie ) and Foot Police. Also established were municipal government, the Witwatersrand District Court and the High Court of Transvaal. The State Almanac for 1897 states that the total white population was 245,397; with
976-546: A large number of overseas companies requiring a commercial base in and gateway to Africa . Gauteng is home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange , the largest stock exchange in Africa. Some of the largest companies in Africa and abroad are based in Gauteng, or have offices and branches there, such as Vodacom , MTN , Neotel , Microsoft South Africa and the largest Porsche Centre in the world. Although Gauteng
1098-416: A law of 1855, only white people were permitted to be citizens of the ZAR and to own land. The constitution of the ZAR stated: "The volk (people) are not prepared to allow any equality of the non-white with the white inhabitants, either in the church or the state". The Witwatersrand gold rush led to an influx of Indians and Chinese into the new city of Johannesburg that was emerging on the veld , which led
1220-574: A loan for a railway, as well as possible European alliances. The second issue that prompted the annexation was native policy and Boer relations with local African kingdoms. The British considered these relations a problem ever since the founding of the ZAR. Only one year after the Sand Rivers Convention , the Lieutenant-Governor of Natal, Benjamin Pine , reported that the Boers had interpreted
1342-487: A major influx of foreigners. By 1896, the language of government and citizens remained Dutch but in many market places, shops and homes the English language was spoken. Hendrik Potgieter was elected at the assembly of 1849 as commandant general for life and it became necessary, to avoid strife, to appoint three commandants general all possessing equal powers. Commandant General Andries Pretorius became commandant general of
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#17328559019681464-508: A peace treaty at Botshabelo ). Nonetheless, the situation could not be described as anything but critical. The war had been expensive, leading the government of the Republic to be insolvent, and the desertion of Boer commandos gave the Zulus, the arch-enemies of the Boers, the impression that the Transvaal was weak, as they had been barely able to defeat Sekhukhune, who they considered a minor vassal. In
1586-616: A powerful lever to influence wavering spirit". It has therefore been suggested that the danger that the Zulus presented was specifically manufactured by the British to induce the Boers to accept annexation, and the impis had been massed on the border "on a hint from Shepstone". This suggestion is supported by the presence of Zulu emissaries in March 1877 in Natal stating that the Zulu army had massed "in readiness at
1708-417: A quasi-feudalism as the wealthier families set themselves up as something alike to the marcher lords of medieval Europe. The field cornets often waged war against local African natives in order to seize land, ivory and people to distribute as spoils to their constituents in exchange for their electoral support, often specifically for elections to higher republic offices. There was a strong dynastic element to
1830-413: A radio, 65.7% have a television, 15.1% own a computer, 62.1% have a refrigerator , and 45.1% have a mobile phone. 25.8% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed. The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is R 23 539 ($ 3,483). Males have a median annual income of R 24 977 ($ 3,696) versus R 20 838 ($ 3,083) for females. Gauteng is the province with the second highest life expectancy in
1952-575: A war between the ZAR and the Bapedi broke out over cattle theft and land encroachment. The Volksraad declared war on the Pedi leader, Sekhukune , on 16 May 1876. The war only began in July 1876. The president of the ZAR, Burgers led an army of 2000 burghers and was joined by a strong force of Swazi warriors. The Swazis joined the war to aid Mampuru, who was ousted from his position of chieftain by Sekhukune. One of
2074-505: A wide assortment of electronic and telecommunications systems. In 2007, this initiative was handed over to the Gauteng Department of Finance. In the 2013 national budget speech, it was announced that the Gauteng Department of Education would be granted over R 700 million to improve education and to alleviate issues concerning the overcrowding in schools, a shortage in teaching staff and transport for poor pupils. In 2017/2018,
2196-624: Is a superior court with general jurisdiction over the province. Johannesburg is also home to the Constitutional Court , South Africa's highest court, and to a branch of the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court . Gauteng's southern border is the Vaal River , which separates it from the Free State . It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, and Mpumalanga to
2318-473: Is a large informal transport sector in Gauteng, consisting of thousands of minibus taxis , which many of the urban and rural population makes use of. However, it is noted that taxis are often unsafe as their drivers ignore the rules of the road and the vehicles are often not roadworthy . The City of Johannesburg stated that: "major initiatives are under way to completely reform the taxi industry and provide more comfort and safety to customers." In March 2017, it
2440-639: Is also found in this province. Politically, it is the closest contested province between the ANC and the DA in South Africa. The name Gauteng is derived from Sotho-Tswana gauta , meaning 'gold'. There was a thriving gold industry in the province following the 1886 discovery of gold in Johannesburg . In Sesotho , Setswana and Sepedi the name Gauteng was used for Johannesburg and surrounding areas long before it
2562-497: Is at a subtropical latitude, the climate is comparatively cooler, especially in Johannesburg , at 1,700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level ( Pretoria is at 1,330 m or 4,364 ft). Most precipitation occurs as brief afternoon thunderstorms; however, relative humidity never becomes uncomfortable. Winters are crisp and dry with frost occurring often in the southern areas. Snow is rare, but it has occurred on some occasions in
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#17328559019682684-429: Is home to the largest human-made urban forest in the world. There are 5 provincial reserves managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs: Gauteng is home to many stadiums and sporting grounds, notably Soccer City , Ellis Park Stadium , Odi Stadium , Loftus Versfeld Stadium , Lucas Moripe Stadium , Giant Stadium , Orlando Stadium , Johannesburg Stadium ,
2806-786: Is mostly dry savanna habitat. In the southern half of Gauteng, the Witwatersrand area is an older term describing a 120 km wide oblong-shaped conurbation from Randfontein in the West to Nigel in the East, named after the Witwatersrand , a geologically and economically important series of low ridges and their associated plateau that greater Johannesburg developed on. This area is also often referred to simply as "Witwatersrand", "the Rand" or "the Reef" (archaic, after
2928-541: Is one of the nine provinces of South Africa . Situated on the Highveld , Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa . Although Gauteng accounts for only 1.5% of the country's land area, it is the most populous province in South Africa , with more than a quarter (26%) of the national population; the provincial population was approximately 16.1 million, according to mid-year 2022 estimates. Highly urbanised,
3050-399: Is reported that Gauteng alone has 4,7 million registered vehicles under the "GP" abbreviation via the eNatis system. Gauteng is a large center of learning in South Africa, and it has many universities and educational institutions of higher learning. In 2002, the Gauteng Department of Education founded an initiative called Gauteng Online in an attempt to get the entire province to utilize
3172-416: Is the smallest of South Africa's nine provinces—it covers a mere 1.5% of the country's total land area, the province is responsible for a third of South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP). Gauteng generates about 10% of the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa and about 7% of total African GDP. Gauteng has the highest GDP and GDP per capita of all South Africa's provinces. Gauteng is also the province with
3294-540: Is to collect information and create a database on the Gauteng City Region to provide to government, lawmakers and civil society an informed understanding of the fastest urbanizing region in Southern Africa. Gauteng is considered the economic hub of South Africa and contributes heavily in the financial, manufacturing, transport, technology, and telecommunications sectors, among others. It also plays host to
3416-511: The Johannesburg metropolitan area. The Gauteng Province (as of May 2011) is divided into three metropolitan municipalities and two district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into six local municipalities : The former Metsweding district consisting of Nokeng Tsa Taemane and Kungwini in the North of the province was incorporated into Tshwane in 2011. As of
3538-512: The 2022 census , Gauteng had a population of 15,099,422, an increase of 23.0% from the last census in 2011 . Despite being the smallest province by area, it has the highest population of any South African province, with 24.3% of the total South African population. As of 2022, there are 5,318,665 households in Gauteng. The population density is 831/km . The density of households is 155.86/km . About 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals. The average household size fell slightly between
3660-574: The Boers , who, dissatisfied with British rule, decided to leave the colony and move into the hinterland of South Africa in what became the Great Trek . These Boers then settled these lands, becoming farmers. The South African Republic came into existence on 17 January 1852, when the British signed the Sand River Convention treaty with about 40,000 Boer people , recognising their independence in
3782-605: The London Convention was signed. The country independently also entered into various agreements with other foreign countries after that date. On 3 November 1884 the country signed a postal convention with the government of the Cape Colony and later a similar convention with the Orange Free State . In November 1859, the independent Republics of Lijdenburg and Utrecht merged with the ZAR. On 9 May 1887, burghers from
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3904-575: The Maritz rebellion . The land area that was once the ZAR now comprises all or most of the provinces of Gauteng , Limpopo , Mpumalanga , and North West in the northeastern portion of the modern-day Republic of South Africa . In 1853 the Volksraad adopted a resolution briefly adopting the name of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (South African Republic). The same year, the Volksraad renamed
4026-533: The N1 , N3 , N4 , N12 , N14 and the N17 . Johannesburg is quite dependent on freeways for transport in and around the city. The R21 , R24 , R59 , M1 and M2 all run through Johannesburg while the R80 connects Pretoria Central to Soshanguve. The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project led to a large decrease in traffic congestion when construction finished 2011–2012. Cape Town , for
4148-551: The Potchefstroom and Rustenburg districts. On 16 December 1852, Andries died and his son, Piet Pretorius , was appointed as commandant general of the Lydenburg and Zoutpansberg districts in his stead. There were some disputes over cattle which Mapela was raising on behalf of Potgieter and earlier Commandant Scholtz had confiscated a large number of rifles and amounts of ammunition, rifle repair equipment and materials of war from
4270-590: The Reformed Churches of South Africa would be entitled to citizenship of the ZAR. Consequently, Paul Kruger was not accepted as a citizen and disallowed from political intercourse. Acting President van Rensburg called a special meeting of the general council of the Dutch Reformed Church , which then voted in a special resolution to allow members of the Reformed Church access to the franchise. In 1876,
4392-660: The Second Boer War . The nearby town of Cullinan gained international acclaim in 1905 when the largest diamond ever discovered, the Cullinan Diamond , was mined there. Many events crucial to the anti- apartheid struggle happened in present-day Gauteng, such as the Freedom Charter of 1955, Women's March of 1956, Sharpeville massacre of 1960, the Rivonia Trial of 1963 and 1964, the little Rivonia Trial of 1964,
4514-597: The Soweto Uprising of 1976 and Sharpeville Six of 1984. The Apartheid Museum documents this era. Gauteng is governed by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature , a 73-person unicameral legislature elected by party-list proportional representation . The legislature elects one of its members as Premier of Gauteng to lead the executive, and the Premier appoints an Executive Council of up to 10 members of
4636-638: The Transvaal Republic , was an independent Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result of the Second Boer War . The ZAR was established as a result of the 1852 Sand River Convention , in which the British government agreed to formally recognise independence of the Boers living north of the Vaal River . Relations between
4758-527: The Volksraad would have to agree to changes to the citizenship law. This proclamation, No 224, also changed Law No 7 with regard to voting. All citizens who were born in the ZAR or had obtained their franchise prior to 23 June 1890 would have the right to vote for both the first and second Volksraad and in all other elections. Citizens who obtained their franchise through naturalization after 23 June 1890 would be able to vote in all elections, except those for
4880-540: The Wanderers Stadium and SuperSport Park . Several teams from Gauteng play in the country's top-level association football (more commonly referred to as soccer) league, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), including Mamelodi Sundowns , SuperSport United , Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates . The national squad Bafana Bafana 's home stadium is Soccer City in Johannesburg. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup ,
5002-585: The volksraad to pass Law Number 3, which was aimed at stopping Asian immigration into the Transvaal. Under Law Number 3, all Asians which were defined as "Coolies, Chinese etc, Arabs, Malays, and Mohammedan subjects of the Turkish dominion" were forbidden from owning fixed property, had to register with the local magistrate within 8 days of arriving, were restricted to living in certain neighborhoods and had to pay an entry fee of £25. The Indian merchants, who were classified as "Arabs", objected to this law and appealed to
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5124-508: The "Annexation of the S. A. Republic to the British Empire." The proclamation stated that the country was "unstable, ungovernable, bankrupt and facing civil war", though in reality the British wished to annex it for its strategic position, using skirmishes as a casus belli . The annexation would not suspend self-government, but nonetheless attempted to convert the ZAR into a colony of the British Empire. The ZAR unanimously decided to resist
5246-410: The 14th February 1877, Shepstone asserted: "While I am here, Cetewayo will do nothing; but if I were to withdraw without completing my mission[annexation], I believe that not only the Zulus but every native tribe in the Transvaal and bordering on it would attack and wipe it out." The danger of a Zulu attack was therefore very real, and not invented by the British. However, the British did apply pressure on
5368-410: The 2011 census and 2022 census, from 3.1 to 2.8 persons. The province's age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 15, 19.6% from 15 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 27 years. For every 100 females there are 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.3 males. According to the 2022 census , in Gauteng,
5490-510: The Bantu peoples living in Bechuanaland: for instance, in 1852, Boer commandos raided the town of Kwena, taking many prisoners, and in 1857 a Boer commandos led another raid on Batlhaping , after claiming that the tribesmen stole their cattle. For the British, these conflicts had a high chance for escalating and presented big problems no matter how they turned out: if the Boers won in their war against
5612-604: The Bapedi threat removed, the Burghers were no longer so amenable to British rule. On 13 December 1880, the members of the last Volksraad were summoned to a meeting at Paardekraal . The meeting placed authority in the hands of a triumvirate: Paul Kruger , Piet Joubert , and Marthinus Wessel Pretorius . They declared Heidelberg their seat of government and hoisted the Vierkleur there on 16 December. The war, not officially declared to
5734-454: The Boers as Makapaan) attacked and killed an entire convoy of women and children traveling to Pretoria. The two chiefs had concluded an agreement to murder all the Europeans in their respective districts and to keep the cattle that they were raising for the Europeans. General Piet Potgieter set out with 100 men from Zoutpansberg and Commandant General Pretorius left Pretoria with 200 men. After
5856-414: The Boers to excite apprehensions of the danger the Zulus presented by cutting off Boer access to the coast, which prevented them from profiting from customs duties on maritime imports and exports, as well as cutting off their source of arms, which contributed to their fear of a Zulu attack. In 1877, Shepstone left Natal for Pretoria. He was warmly received by Burgers , the president of the Transvaal. Since
5978-586: The British annexation. Instead of declaring war, the country decided to send a delegation to the United Kingdom and the United States, to protest. This did not have any effect, and the First Boer War formally broke out on 20 December 1880. It would see the introduction of the khaki uniform among British troops, marking the beginning of the end of the famous red coat . The Battle of Laing's Nek would be
6100-518: The British government to protect their rights as British subjects. Following British diplomatic pressure, Law Number 3 was amended by the volksraad in 1887 to allow the "Asiatics" the right to own fixed property, though not land, and the entry fee was lowered to £3. Because the Indians in the ZAR had the British government to protect them, the anti-Asian laws in the ZAR tended to single out the Chinese, though
6222-505: The British or at least offer the British resistance, endangering the Cape Colony. Annexation was therefore the only way of preventing either of these outcomes. What precipitated action and confirmed the aforementioned fears was that in 1876, war broke out between the Boers and the Bapedi chief Sekhukhune. Initially, the Boers faced heavy defeats: the Republic was close to bankruptcy and its siege of Sekhukhune's stronghold failed because commando members objected to Burgers's theology, calling him
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#17328559019686344-640: The Gauteng Provincial government spent R 42.4 billion on education which accounted for 38% the province's total expenditure. Although Gauteng province is dominated by the urban areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria, it has several nature reserves. Gauteng is home to the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes the Sterkfontein caves and the Wonder Cave Kromdraai . Johannesburg
6466-417: The Hong Kong Chinese were like the Indians able to claim as British subjects certain exemptions from the anti-Chinese laws. To be eligible for citizenship, white foreigners had to have been residing in the Republic for a period of two years, be of good character and have been accepted as member of the Dutch Reformed or Reformed Church. On 20 September 1893 the ZAR Constitution was amended so that two-thirds of
6588-414: The Orange Free State. President Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff had issued a death sentence over two ZAR citizens, for treason. Kruger argued with President Boshoff that the Bible said punishment does not mean a death sentence and at the prisoner exchange, it was agreed that the accused would be punished if found guilty. After consulting Commandant Kruger's Bible, Boshoff commuted the men's sentences to lashes with
6710-481: The South African Republic was relinquished. The British government, in the London Convention , accepted the name of the country as the South African Republic. The convention was signed in duplicate in London on 27 February 1884, by Hercules Robinson , Paul Kruger , Stephanus Jacobus du Toit and Nicolaas Smit , and later ratified by the South African Republic Volksraad . In 1885, rich gold reefs were discovered. ZAR burghers were farmers and not miners and much of
6832-415: The Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby championship: the Pretoria -based Bulls , and the Johannesburg -based Lions (previously the Cats). Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup : the Blue Bulls from Pretoria, the Golden Lions from Johannesburg and the Falcons from the East Rand . In 1995, South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and proceeded to win
6954-423: The Transvaal, provided he was satisfied that a sufficient number of the inhabitants, or the legislature, desired it. By the time Shepstone arrived, however, the Bapedi and the Boers had signed a peace treaty. However, this conflict cannot be lightly dismissed as "the picturesque pretext" for annexation. In spite of the Boer "victory," on 16 February 1877, the Boers and Bapedi, mediated by Alexander Merensky , signed
7076-411: The Transvaal, which proposition, although rejected, raised the possibility of the Boers requesting German protection, which in turn raised the possibility of the appearance of a foreign and unfriendly power in the Cape which could threaten Britain's position there. These fears were further stoked by the trip that Thomas Burgers , the president of Transvaal took to Europe, during which he tried to negotiate
7198-422: The Volksraad to accept, as an alternative to annexation, a reform to the constitution that would strengthen his executive authority and prolong his rule by two more years. Even when Shepstone informed Burgers of his determination to go through with annexing the Transvaal, Burgers assured Shepstone of his co-operation. It is argued by some that Shepstone had annexed the area in haste, "without troubling to ascertain
7320-399: The ZAR and Britain started to deteriorate after the British Cape Colony expanded into the Southern African interior, eventually leading to the outbreak of the First Boer War between the two nations. The Boer victory confirmed the ZAR's independence; however, Anglo-ZAR tensions soon flared up again over various diplomatic issues. In 1899, war again broke out between Britain and the ZAR, which
7442-450: The ZAR had about 30,000 men who were called up to serve in the kommandos . Though in theory, any white male burgher could be elected to a military office, in practice the men who were elected came from the wealthier families, who used their wealth to build up patronage networks that put the poorer farmers into their debt in one manner or another. The South African historian Ian van der Waag described Boer society as being characterized by
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#17328559019687564-425: The ZAR was still nominally an independent country. On 31 May 1902, the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed with the government of the South African Republic, the Orange Free State government, and the British government, ending the war, and converted the ZAR into the Transvaal Colony . Following the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Transvaal Colony became Transvaal Province . The name Transvaal
7686-421: The ZAR's demands to revert to the use of the previous name. The name of the South African Republic was of such political significance that on 1 September 1900, the British declared by special proclamation that the name of the country had been changed from Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek to "the Transvaal". This proclamation was issued during the British occupation of the region in the Second Boer War and while
7808-406: The ZAR. On 1 October 1895 Alfred Fernandez Harington was appointed English master at the Staats Model School in Pretoria. Use of any foreign language was subject to criminal penalty and fine of £20 (ZAR) for each offence. The British similarly had declared English to be the only language spoken in the Cape Colony some decades earlier to outlaw the Dutch language. The discovery of gold in 1885 led to
7930-402: The Zulus loyal to the British was their fear of the Boers: but once the Zulus realized that the Boers were not a threat, they realised that they did not need to acquiesce to British demands. This is shown by the response that Cetewayo made to the calls for peace from the Lieutenant-Governor of Natal: "I shall not act on my own account. I shall not agree to any laws or rules from Natal." Writing on
8052-402: The Zulus, there would be a substantial increase of Zulu refugees into the already crowded area of Natal, and the displacement of peoples had been shown to create an atmosphere conducive to war, as shown by the Xhosa wars ). If the Zulus won, other independent tribes such as the Bantu , the Pondo , Swazi , Bapedi , and others, would gain confidence that they might obtain their independence from
8174-406: The annexation of Natal , which had previously been a Boer republic called Natalia . This annexation happened because the MacMahon award gave the Delagoa bay to the Portuguese, who were friendly to the Boers. The Transvaal government immediately took steps to acquire a loan to build a railway there, and even led discussions to purchase the bay outright. This railway and purchase caused the loss of
8296-401: The call of Somtseu (Shepstone) to go round towards the upper side of the Dutch." Moreover, Shepstone requested Sir Henry Bulwer , the British Lieutenant-Governor of Natal, to cease the importation of military materiel into the Transvaal. However, the independence of the Zulu kingdom mustn't be understated, and the influence that Shepstone had over Cetewayo should not be exaggerated. What kept
8418-405: The casualties of this war was Commandant General Potgieter. The natives were armed with rifles and were good shots. The general was killed by a native sniper on the ridge of a trench and his body recovered by then commandant Paul Kruger whilst under heavy fire from the natives. What remained of the joint commando, now under command of General Pretorius focussed their attention on Mapela. By the time
8540-414: The commando had reached Mapela, the natives had fled. A few wagons, bloody clothes, chests and other goods were discovered at a kop near Mapela's town. Mapela and his soldiers escaped and with their rifles and ammunition intact and Mapela was only captured much later, in 1858. Commandant-General Stephanus Schoeman did not accept the Volksraad proclamation of 20 September 1858, under which members of
8662-423: The commandos met up, they first attacked Magobane and the natives were driven back to their caves in the mountains where they lived before. The Boers held them at siege in their caves and eventually hundreds of women and children came out. Orphan children of the native tribes were booked in strictly controlled by legal process, at appointed Boer families to look after them until they came of age. The administration
8784-537: The country in 2019 with females having a life expectancy of 69 years and males having a life expectancy of 64 years. Historically described as the PWV complex , the urban conurbation of Gauteng, referred to as the Gauteng City Region, contains the major urban populations of Johannesburg (7,860,781 as of 2011 ), Pretoria (1,763,336), Vereeniging (377,922), Evaton (605,504) and Soshanguve (728,063), coming to an urban population of over 11 million. Thomas Brinkhoff lists
8906-454: The country was on the eve of an election which Burgers was bound to lose due to his unpopularity, Sir Theophilius therefore "was convinced beyond any doubt of Burgers' support against their common enemy: Kruger", since Kruger was Burger's primary rival in the election, against whom he could leverage the aid of the Natalian (Shepstone). Thomas Burgers hoped to use the presence of Shepstone to induce
9028-660: The country, and is the only sport to feature in the top two among all of South Africa's major ethnic/racial groups. The Highveld Lions represent both Gauteng and North West in the country's three domestic competitions—the first-class SuperSport Series , the List A one-day MTN Domestic Championship and the Twenty20 Standard Bank Pro 20 Series . South African Republic The South African Republic ( Dutch : Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek , abbreviated ZAR ; Afrikaans : Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek ), also known as
9150-614: The early 19th century, when settlers originating from the Cape Colony defeated chief Mzilikazi and started establishing villages in the area. The city of Pretoria, established in 1855 as the capital of the South African Republic , witnessed rapid growth until the discovery of gold in the Witswatersrand area in 1886, which led to the founding of Johannesburg. Despite slower development compared to Johannesburg, Pretoria maintained significance, notably due to its pivotal role in
9272-596: The early battles occurred at Botsabelo Mission Station on 13 July 1876, against Johannes Dinkwanyane, who was Sekhukune's brother. The Boer forces were led by Commandant Coetzee and accompanied by Swazi warriors. The Swazi warriors launched a surprise and successful attack while the Boers held back. Seeing this, the Swazis refused to hand over to the Boers any spoils from the battle, thereafter leaving and returning to Swaziland . Dinkwanyane's followers also surrendered after this campaign. On 12 April 1877, British officials issued
9394-676: The east, with ports on the Mozambique coast. Maputo and Matola are both deepwater ports. Transport organisations and border control agencies are cooperating to improve transport and lower barriers to trade. The corridor was first planned in 1994, as a rehabilitation project for disused transport links. Since then, the project has broadened, new parties have become involved, and over $ 5 billion invested. Gauteng Gauteng ( / x aʊ ˈ t ɛ ŋ / khow- TENG , Sotho: [xɑ́.úˈtʼèŋ̀] ; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; Zulu : eGoli or iGoli [îːˈɡóːlì] )
9516-512: The east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld , a high-altitude grassland (circa 1,500 m or 4,921 ft above sea level). Between Johannesburg and Pretoria , there are low parallel ridges and undulating hills, some part of the Magaliesberg Mountains and the Witwatersrand . The north of the province is more subtropical , due to its lower altitude and
9638-466: The election of generals who commanded the kommandos as there was a tendency for men from the same families to be elected to the office of general generation after generation. In 1899, while the average age of a general in the ZAR was 58, the majority had a very limited education. In a society that venerated age, the most respected man was the takhaar , the wealthy patriarch with the long hair and long beard that indicated wisdom, and these were accordingly
9760-424: The establishment of a province by that name, with the "V" sometimes standing for " Vaal Triangle " rather than Vereeniging. At the Sterkfontein caves, some of the oldest fossils of hominids have been discovered, such as Mrs. Ples and Little Foot . Events in this area were not written down until the 19th century; information from before that time is lost or difficult to confirm. The first records are from
9882-550: The field cornets performed both military and political functions. The commandant-general was responsible for buying guns and ammunition, fixed the prices of commodities and most importantly controlled the ivory trade. The economy of the Transvaal was very much a barter economy, and ivory was one of the principal currencies used in trade and commerce. The professional military of the ZAR was the Staatsartillerie (State Artillery), who in 1899 numbered 314 men. The Staatsartillerie
10004-464: The first Volksraad . The total population of the republic in 1890 was an estimated 120,000 people. In common with the Orange Free State, the basis of the military of the ZAR was the kommando system under which all able-bodied burghers could be called up for military service under their own elected officers. The men of the kommandos wore no uniforms and had no medals. The basic officer
10126-439: The first ever world cup held by an African nation, Gauteng's stadia hosted many games. The first ever FIFA world cup match on African soil took place at Soccer City on 11 June 2010. Along with Soccer City, Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Ellis Park Stadium hosted matches in Gauteng. Rugby , or more accurately rugby union , is a popular sport in South Africa, and in Gauteng in particular. Two rugby teams from Gauteng participate in
10248-501: The first time in decades, is now the most congested city in South Africa. PUTCO , the largest commuter bus operator in South Africa, services the Gauteng area extensively. The bus rapid transit system Rea Vaya also serves to transport people from Johannesburg's southern neighbourhoods into and around the CBD . In an interview, Parks Tau stated that by 2040, Johannesburg will be dominated by pedestrians and public transport as opposed to
10370-526: The gold reefs that precipitated the development of the area), and was the "W" in PWV , the initial name for Gauteng. It has traditionally been divided into the three areas of East Rand (governed by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality ), Central Rand (approximately today's Johannesburg Municipality ) and West Rand . The climate is mostly influenced by altitude. Even though the province
10492-658: The high school level. Overall, 40.6% of residents have completed high school. 56.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or mobile phone in the dwelling, 41.5% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.3% have access that is not nearby or no access. 82.8% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 84.2% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 2.6% have no rubbish disposal. 47.2% have running water inside their dwelling, 83.6% have running water on their property, and 97.5% have access to running water. 73.2% of households use electricity for cooking, 70.4% for heating, and 80.8% for lighting. 77.4% of households have
10614-590: The home of an English missionary, the Reverend Livingstone. Livingstone admitted to storing weaponry for the Secheli, a breach of the Sand River Convention, which prohibited providing arms or ammunition to the natives. In 1853, Herman Potgieter was called to Mapela to aid in a cull of the elephant population. Upon arrival, Maphela guided the Potgieter party, which included Herman, his son, his groom and
10736-485: The last occasion on which a British Army regiment carried its official regimental colours into battle. The Pretoria Convention of 1881 was signed on 3 August 1881 and ratified on 25 October 1881 by the ZAR, where the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek is referred to by the name "Transvaal Territory". The Pretoria Convention of 1881 was superseded in 1884 by the London Convention, in which the British suzerainty over
10858-500: The legislature to serve as heads of the various government departments. The provincial government is responsible for the topics allocated to it in the national constitution , including such fields as basic education, health, housing, social services, agriculture and environmental protection. The most recent election of the provincial legislature was held on 8 May 2019 , and the African National Congress (ANC) won 50.19% of
10980-465: The most spoken languages at home were: 86.1% of residents are Christian, 4.3% have no religion , 1.6% are Muslim, 0.1% are Jewish, and 0.7% are Hindu . 6.0% stated Traditional African religions as their faith. 8.4% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 11.2% have had some primary, 5.5% have completed only primary school, 34.3% have had some high education, 28.0% have finished only high school, and 12.6% have an education higher than
11102-631: The most taxpayers and the highest average taxable income per taxpayer according to the South African Revenue Service . SANRAL , a parastatal, is responsible for the maintenance, development and management of all national road networks in South Africa. SANRAL is responsible for instituting the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, which was met with a lot of opposition due to the tolling of Gauteng motorists. Many important national routes run through Gauteng such as
11224-463: The occupying British troops, opened with an irregular attack on a British regiment on the march at Bronkhorstspruit . The British garrisons in the Transvaal were besieged, but only one fell to the republicans. The Boers defeated the British at Laing's Nek and Ingogo , and on 27 February 1881, at Majuba , General Sir George Pomeroy Colley fell at the head of his troops. While the British would in other circumstances have sent more troops and defeated
11346-494: The official protest of the executive council, all but one of its members retained office under the new administration, and no military incidents occurred during or immediately after the annexation. Sir Garnet Wolseley , High Commissioner for Southeast Africa, declared war on Sekhukhune. With British and allied troops, including the Swazis who had supported Burgers, in 1879 Wolseley defeated Sekhukhune and imprisoned him in Pretoria. With
11468-413: The only control that that the British had, since previously the British could at the very least restrict the supply of arms of ammunition that was exported and fell into the hands of the Boers and natives and thereby rein in what the British saw as the anarchy in the Transvaal. Additionally, the sea outlet that the Boers acquired which was outside the control of the British made persuading the Boers to enter
11590-530: The people most likely to be elected as officers. Most of the takhaars serving as officers in 1899 were in some way connected to President Paul Kruger , either by ties of blood or marriage. The language spoken and written by the citizens of the ZAR was a variant of Dutch , locally referred to as Hooghollands . On 3 October 1884, the Volksraad stated that they had reason to believe that in certain schools impure Dutch (in fact an early form of Afrikaans )
11712-507: The pretext he required to annex the republic [as the Transvaal , a British colony, on 12 April 1877]." Barkly's warning hastened the action of Lord Carnarvon and led to the dispatch of Sir Theophilus Shepstone, who happened to be in England, on his mission as special commissioner "to carry out any negotiations which may be found necessary and practicable." Shepstone's warrant authorised him to annex
11834-419: The province contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg . Gauteng is the wealthiest province in South Africa and is considered the financial hub of South Africa; the financial activity is mostly concentrated in Johannesburg. It also contains the administrative capital, Pretoria , and other large areas such as Midrand , Vanderbijlpark , Ekurhuleni and the affluent Sandton . The largest township, Soweto,
11956-414: The real drift of Dutch opinion." However, his decision was certainly not made in haste, as he remained in Pretoria for three months before making a proclamation of annexation, at which time he was in contact with the members of the community in Pretoria. Moreover, due to the economic depression, as well as the "incurable insolvency" of the government, the burghers were ready to support the annexation, which
12078-623: The rebels, Prime Minister William Gladstone chose to make peace. Drawing up of the detailed peace treaty—the Pretoria Convention —was left in the hands of a royal commission comprising Sir Hercules Robinson , General Sir Evelyn Wood and Justice John de Villiers of the Cape Colony. Britain now referred to the territory as the Transvaal State, but the Volksraad regarded the old South African Republic as having been restored. The ZAR became fully independent on 27 February 1884, when
12200-530: The region to the north of the Vaal River , which had previously been under British annexation as the Orange Rivers Sovereignty . The first president of the ZAR was Marthinus Wessel Pretorius , elected in 1857, son of Boer leader Andries Pretorius , who commanded the Boers to victory at the Battle of Blood River . The capital was established at Potchefstroom and later moved to Pretoria . The parliament
12322-401: The spring and summer of 1876–77, frontier skirmishes between the Zulus and Boers flared up once again, and Cetewayo , the Zulu king, began moving his impis towards the border between the Transvaal and Zululand. Believing that the only answer to the instability of the region was British intervention, senior War Office official Sir Garnet Wolseley argued that Britain should "use Cetewayo as
12444-569: The state to the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek Benoorden de Vaalrivier (South African Republic to the North of the Vaal River). In 1858, the constitution permanently established the name of the country as the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek . The ZAR was also commonly referred to as Transvaal in reference to the area beyond (or " trans ") the Vaal River , including by the British and European press. The British objected to
12566-489: The territories of Stellaland and Goosen (sometimes referred to as "Goshen") were granted the ZAR franchise. On 25 July 1895, the burghers that took part in the battle at Zoutpansberg were granted citizenship of the ZAR. The constitution of the ZAR was legally interesting for its time. It contained provisions for the division between the political leadership and office bearers in government administration. The legal system consisted of higher and lower courts and had adopted
12688-480: The total black population being 622,544. Initially, the state and church were not separated in the constitution; citizens of the ZAR had to be members of the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk , a denomination which had broken from the Dutch Reformed Church . In 1858, these clauses were altered in the constitution to allow for the Volksraad to approve other Dutch Christian churches. The Dopper Church
12810-539: The tournament at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995. The events surrounding the world cup formed the basis of the story for the movie Invictus . Many South African universities take part in the Varsity Rugby league. Of these, the Gauteng universities include the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand. Cricket is also widely popular among all cultural groups in
12932-506: The treaty as having placed Zululand under their exclusive control. Pine stated that such a union of the Zulus and the Boers, who had wanted to create a settlement in the North-West corner of Zululand, would imperil the safety of Natal. This combination meant that control of the land around the areas of Utrecht would be in dispute between the Boers and the Zulus, raising tension in the region. The Boers had also been acting provocatively towards
13054-600: The use of private transport or informal transport, such as minibus taxis. Gautrain and Metrorail both service the province's public transport sector where trains are concerned and Gautrain offers a bus service that transports commuters to and from various train stations and predetermined bus stops. Metrorail trains are considered one of the most cost-effective methods of transportation in and around Gauteng. The O. R. Tambo International Airport , Rand Airport , Lanseria International Airport , Wonderboom Airport and Grand Central Airport are located in Gauteng. There
13176-498: The use of the name Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek . After the end of the First Boer War, the ZAR came under British suzerainty and in the Pretoria Convention of 3 August 1881, the British insisted on the use of the name Transvaal State over Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek . This convention was renegotiated in a subsequent treaty between Britain and the ZAR, the London Convention of 27 February 1884, where Britain acquiesced to
13298-588: The vote and a 37-seat majority in the legislature. The official opposition is the Democratic Alliance , which won 27.45% of the vote and 20 seats. Other parties represented are the Economic Freedom Fighters with eleven seats and the Freedom Front Plus with three seats. The Inkatha Freedom Party and African Christian Democratic Party hold one seat each. Premier David Makhura of the ANC
13420-470: Was Britain's prime colony. Confederation of the South African region was thought to be very beneficial for the British, as it would "cheapen the administration of affairs" and reduce the need for imperial money and troops. The first issue that prompted the annexation of Transvaal was the prospect that the Boers might gain an outlet to the sea, which the British government was trying to prevent, as shown by
13542-415: Was adopted in 1994 as the official name of the province. Gauteng was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first multiracial elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially called Pretoria – Witwatersrand – Vereeniging (PWV) and was renamed "Gauteng" on the 28th of June 1995, the same day two other provinces were renamed. The term "PWV" describing the region existed long before
13664-459: Was approved by the Volksraad in 1858, which had the effect of allowing Paul Kruger , a Dopper himself, to remain a citizen of the ZAR. The Bible itself was also often used to interpret the intention of legal documents. The Bible was also used to interpret a prisoner exchange agreement, reached in terms of the Sand River Convention , between a commando of the ZAR, led by Kruger, and a Commando of
13786-509: Was armed with the modern Krupp artillery guns imported from Germany, and whose second-in-command was the Austrian officer Captain Adolf Zboril, who did his best to bring up the Staatsartillerie to the level of a European army. The closest the ZAR had to a professional infantry and cavalry was the para-military ZARP ( Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek Politie - South African Republic Police ). In 1899,
13908-488: Was being used. The Volksraad issued Proclamation 207 and compelled the Superintendent of Education to apply the language law enforcing the exclusive use of Dutch. On 30 July 1888, Dutch language was declared the sole official language, in court as well as education, trade and general use. All other languages were declared "foreign". These changes to the ZAR laws made the use of all other foreign languages illegal in
14030-572: Was called the Volksraad and had 24 members. By the 1870s, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies , Lord Carnarvon , adopted a policy of confederating South Africa, in order to solve the problems of a restless frontier and of containing the Boers, which both threatened their colonies of Natal and the Cape of Good Hope. These colonies were absolutely vital in providing a route to India, which
14152-427: Was expected to solve these problems, whilst providing them protection from the natives. Additionally, the state attorney, Dr Jorissen, opined that, had Shepstone summoned the Volksraad after annexation, he would have obtained a vote of confidence. At Pretoria the annexation was received quietly enough. The republican printing press (De Volksstem) made no difficulty over the printing of Shepstone's proclamation. Despite
14274-460: Was finally changed in 1994, when the post- apartheid African National Congress -dominated South African government broke up the province into four provinces and renamed the core region Gauteng . The Boer republics emerged when the British had annexed the Cape Colony from the Dutch in 1806, in order to prevent the sea routes to the East (India etc.) from falling to Napoleon . This area was inhabited by
14396-504: Was guilty of a criminal offence. These children were also often called "oorlams" in reference to being overly used to the Dutch culture, and in reference to a hand-raised orphan sheep, or "hanslam". These children, even after their 16th birthday, and being free to come and go as they please, rarely re-connected with their own culture and own language and except for surviving and being cared for in terms of food and shelter, were basically forcefully divorced from their native tribe forever. Among
14518-507: Was re-elected as premier on 22 May 2019, at the first meeting of the legislature after the general election. Makhura resigned from the position on 6 October 2022 and Panyaza Lesufi of the ANC was elected to replace him. In the 2024 South African general election , held on 29 May, the ANC received 34% of the vote, while the DA received 28%. The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa , which has seats in Pretoria and Johannesburg,
14640-424: Was similar to the system of indentured workers, which was simply another form of slavery, with the exception that children so registered had to be released at age 16. The commando would return all such children to the nearest landdrost district, for registration and allocation to a Boer family. As there were slavers and other criminals dealing in children, any burgher found in possession of an unregistered minor child
14762-518: Was swiftly occupied by British forces. Many Boer combatants in the ZAR refused to surrender , leading British commander Lord Kitchener to order the adoption of several scorched-earth policies . In the treaty which ended the war, the ZAR was transformed into the Transvaal Colony , and eventually the Union of South Africa . During World War I , there was a failed attempt at resurrecting the republic in
14884-415: Was the field cornet who was elected by the local burghers and performed both military and administrative functions in his district. The field cornet was responsible for collecting taxes, performing the census, training the male burghers , collecting arms and with upholding the power of the state over the local black population. The commander of the ZAR's military was the elected commandant-general who like
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